English legend bows at Real Madrid player’s feet, and it's not Benzema or Vinicius

After his man-of-the-match heroics against Celtic last night, Fede Valverde has won more admirers. If you were not already a fan of the midfielder's dynamism, grit and stamina, then you might be after he orchestrated a 5-1 demolition of the Scottish champions. He capped a fine all-round display with Madrid's final goal in 71st minute.

Valverde had to wait for his opportunity in central midfield behind Modric, Kroos and Casemiro. He had to use his versatility on the wing or at right back, depending on Ancelotti's needs. The good thing is that the Uruguayans worse position is on the bench. Casemiro's departure has freed a space in midfield, and now could be the time for Valverde to fill it.

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The English legend Joe Cole, who was a talented midfielder in his day, could not stop gushing about the 24-year-old's performance: “He's box-to-box, he scores goals, he's a technician…He drove that team forward, he's powerful boy, took his goal lovely, and he's one that I earmarked about two years ago.” Now that he is decisive for Madrid, expect many more to claim Valverde.

Instead of getting frustrated playing out wide, Valverde learnt from Kroos, Modric and Casemiro. It is showing that he has taken a little from each of their game. Passing he picked up from the German, technique from the Croat, and competitiveness from the Brazilian. Instead of excelling at one thing, he is a composite of all three.

Humility is his best quality

The end-product also backs up the hype. This year he has added goal involvement to his game, which is probably because he is in a more central role. Instead of taking the credit himself, he congratulated his teammates on last night's performance: “Congratulations to the team because it belongs to the team as well. It was a great game. We took our chances and got the goals we needed.”